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Morse's mammoth home run too big to trail

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Morse's solo jack 1:08

4/2/13: Michael Morse goes yard for the second time in the game with a solo shot to center off Grant Balfour in the ninth inning

By Greg Johns
/
MLB.com |

OAKLAND -- Michael Morse's ninth-inning blast off A's closer Grant Balfour in Tuesday's 7-1 win was hit so high and far that it carried over the ROOT Sports camera angles and wasn't caught well on tape.

But the ball hit high up the massive wall behind the center-field fence at O.co Coliseum and ESPN's Home Run Tracker estimated the distance at 446 feet, the second-longest blast of the early season in Major League Baseball behind a 460-foot bomb by the Braves' Justin Upton on Monday.

Morse also lined an opposite-field shot for a three-run homer in the third inning Tuesday. On the heels of a Major League-high nine home runs this spring, the big outfielder has left little doubt about his potential impact.

"He's got some pop in that bat," said first baseman Justin Smoak. "It's definitely been a lot of fun to watch."

"He can take over a game with one swing of the bat," said third baseman Kyle Seager. "He's got that thing where anytime he goes up to the plate, you never know what can happen. And that's pretty special."

Morse hit his first homer while playing right field, with the second coming after he shifted over to left when the Mariners reset their outfield after Franklin Gutierrez entered the game in the eighth. He thus became just the second player in team history to homer twice in a game at different positions. David Bell hit a pair of homers on Aug. 23, 2001, against the Tigers while playing first and third base.